What to bring to your first visit

Bring photo ID, a list of every medicine you take, your health or insurance card, and a way to contact you, and phone ahead because each service asks for slightly different papers.

Identity papers

Bring photo ID if you have it: a driving licence, passport or national ID card. A proof of address helps too, such as a bill or a letter with your name on it. If you have no ID, phone first and say so. Services deal with this often.

Your medication list

Write down every medicine you take: prescribed drugs, methadone or buprenorphine from another service, painkillers, sleeping tablets, antidepressants and over-the-counter medicines. Add the dose and when you take each one. Interactions with opioid treatment can be dangerous, and the doctor can only judge what you disclose. Bring the boxes if writing a list is hard.

Health cover and contact details

Bring your health card or insurance details: Medicare, Medicaid, NHS number, health insurance card, or whatever your country uses. Bring a phone number where the service can reach you, and a backup contact if you have one. CADS in Auckland also accepts referrals from your doctor, so bring your GP's details.

What the service may do with the papers

Intake usually includes an interview, a medical exam with lab tests, and a treatment plan. The CATC programme in Toronto describes supervised urine testing as part of assessment. Knowing this in advance removes the surprise. Ask how long the visit takes so you can plan travel and childcare.

Confirm the format before you travel

Forward Leeds asks clients to check whether each appointment is in person, by phone or online. Do the same everywhere. Confirm the address, the floor or unit, the time and the name of the person you will see. Save the service's phone number from its listing page.

Money and transport

Ask whether the visit has a fee and how you pay. Ask about parking, bus routes and wheelchair access when you phone. If transport is the barrier, say so: some services offer phone appointments or outreach.

This guide is information only. It is not medical advice.